The Lives of those who are not Paper Tigers

when you are deep in it
on the ground
covered in sweat dripping
with blood that doesn’t belong to you
trying to catch your breath
and
looking for where you left your icy calm
your even breath,
when you are folded and origami,
when you are raggedrottenbleeding
when you are victorious,
when you are now sated
now at peace
now hungry no more
now grinning madly
spinning in place
now childlike with wonder
now at home, now breathing easy, now beating steadily, now like the rest of them
now like the rest of them,
know that you are not like the rest of them.